Editor.

In the month of March, 1951 I was called by Comrade Muzaffar Ahmed. He introduced me to Com. Abdus Samad who was a student leader at that time in Eask Pakistan and told me that some important trade union activists of Saidpur have been arrested and thereafter I will have to proceed to Saidpur for trade union work. He also told me that open work is not possible. Therefore I will have to work remaining underground. Saidpur has a railway Workshop like Liluah and large number of Urdu speaking workers had opted from Liluah, Kanchrapara and Jamalpur to Saidpur. Therefore my service will be very much useful. Abdus Samad was to accompany me from Calcutta to Saidpur. Someother workers also sent at that time including Late Com. Mansur Habibullah, late Com. Abdur Rezzak Khan who was working in Khiddirpore Dock. Barrister Latif, Noon-un-Nabi Chowdhury, Shahzad Manzar and some others. Abdus Samad accompanied me to Saidpur by train. No passport system was introduced till that time. He took me directly to the Railway Colony of Saidpur and handed over to Khandekar Mustaque who was a railway employee and had a quarter in the Railway Colony. At that time there was an anti-communist frenzy in the whole of Pakistan particularly after the Nachal (Rajswahi) case. I was able to work somehow for six months and then arrested alongwith Shanti Sanyal, Kalipada Barman and Kalipada De. All others who were sent from Calcutta were arrested except Abdur Rezzak who returned after our arrest.

On 18th September 1951 I went to attend a meeting in a village situated in between Parbatipur and Rangpur. The name of the station is Badarganj.

I stayed in the Kacha Hut of a poor Hindu peasant along with Shanti Sanyal, Kalipada Dey and Kalipada Barman. The village was a jute cultivating area and new crop was being taken out of the field.

In the early morning of 19th September we were taking tea. We heard a noise of hundreds of people approaching towards the hut from all around and the inmates fleeing away. We were alarmed. Shanti Sanyal went out and asked the crowd "what do you want"?

"We want to teach you a lesson" replied one of them. "You are Communist and holding meeting to destroy Pakistan". They cried and then caught all of us. They did not allow us even to wear our shoes.

We were practically dragged and taken on foot to the Badargunj Thana that was about five kilometers from the village. The entire crowd Bengali Muslim peasants escorted us with lathies and other weapons.

We reached the Police station at about 2 P.M. and were placed in the lock-up. The crowd explained to he O.C. what has happened. The O.C. abused us in filthy language.

Within 4 hours the District Intelligence Officer from Rangpur reached. He was acquanted to Shanti Sanyal. Shanti was arrested some time ago under Section 7/3 of the then British Law "Public Safety Act". The Magistrate released him in the Rangpur District Court. Police was waiting outside to re-arrest him but the news spread among the student of the Rangpur College. They came in large number and blocked the door of the Court room. As soon as Shanti came out they formed a ring around him, did not allow the police to touch him, put him on the back of a bicycle and took away. Thereafter he went underground. And now again came to the clutches of the police. Seeing him in the lock-up the DI exclaimed "hallow Shantibabu we are meeting again". "That is correct but please tell your police to behave with us properly because we are political workers", Shanti complained. "Why? What has happened"? The officer asked. Then Shanti narrated the rough behaviour of the O.C. The officer apologised and told "please don’t mind they are not political people and therefore do not know who are you but we know. I will tell them henceforth there will be no difficulties. Now it is night fall, we shall take you to Rangpur tomorrow". Then he left.

After some time the O.C. came. He was a changed man. He expressed his regret to us and told "I am very sorry, I misbehaved with you, please don’t mind. I have arranged food for you from my own house so that you can take it with comfort". But despite the fact that we were without food for the whole day we refused to take food from the house of the O.C. as a matter of protest because of his ill treatment earlier.

At 10 P.M. the guard of the lock-up changed. The night guard took charge from the man who guarded us during the day. Their conversation was interesting. The outgoing constable told the other constable – "You remain very careful, these people are very dangerous". "What are they? Are they dacoits"? he asked – they were talking in Urdu – "No, No, not dacoits but more dangerous than the dacoits – "They can run away by breaking the wall even". He said, "what punishment they will get from the Court"? The constable asked. "They will be hanged" was the reply. There was another arrested person in the lock-up. He was drunken. He passed his urine in the lock-up itself, which caused bad smell. I could not sleep.

They next day that is 20th September 1951 we were escorted in a hackney carriage (Ghora Gari) from the Police station to Badarganj Railway Station. One full coach of the Dacca Mail was reserved for us and there was a heavy police force on the platform. Rangpur was only two stations. We were hand cuffed with a rope around the waist of us. People were looking at us most curiously and with a sense fear. We all were desperate.

We were taken to the lock-up of the Rangpur Kotawali and placed in the lock-up. This lock-up spacious and clean. We were happy with this promotion. In this lock-up of the Rangpur Kotawali and placed in the lock-up we planned who will make what statement before the intelligence officer.

The next day that is 21st September we were interrogated one by one by the SP DIB in his chamber in the Rangpur Court area, when my turn came I was offered a chair in front of the small room of the Officer. He was a middle aged Bengali Muslim. He was surprised when he came to know that I was an Urdu speaking muslim and had come from Calcutta. He was intrigued as to how I came in contact with such confirmed Communists.

I made the statement that I am a refugee and came to Baderganj to purchase land. Since there was no train to go back I had to stay in the village with those people and in the morning I was brought to the police station by the villagers alongwith three others. The Officer partly believed that I may be innocent but there were two very strong negative factors. The first question was that how such an ordinary person without any acquantance can stay with 3 noted Communists? And Secondly, the police got a number of political documentrs from the room where we stayed in the village which was found by the villagers when they caught us. In those documents there was an Urdu translation of the first draft Programme of the CPI which was later adopted by the Party Congress in India. I was entrusted the job to translate it from English to Urdu which I did with much difficulty. My hand written copy was also there. The SP DIB became suspicious. He asked me what is this written in Urdu. I pretended that I cannot read it well as I have a poor knowledge of the Urdu language. He asked me to write a few lines in Urdu which I did with utmost care to mislead the hand writing expert to whom, I was sure, it will be sent for examination. I was only 23 years of age so also he doubted if I was qualified enough to write it.

The Police Officer was perhaps in a hurry. He told me that, "You go to Rangpur Jail for a few days. The matter will be enquired into and the Urdu document will be sent to Dacca for verification. If it was found that it is not your hand writing then you will be rleased."

From the office of the DIB the Rangpur jail was about 2 kilometres. We were taken on foot with hand cuff and rope in the waist.

It was about one P.M. when we reached the jail gate. It took about half an hour to complete the paper formalities and then the inner small gate was opened. Shanti Sanyal and Kalipada Dey were locked up in the condemned cell which was for those prisoners who were sentenced to death. There were only two small rooms with a common small courtyard. Myself and Kalipada Burman were kept with the ordinary under-trial prisoner which means remaining from morning to evening to evening in the file and in lock-up from dusk to dawn.

At that time there were six political prisoner in another ward. They were 70 years old Nagen Sircar of Maymansing. A very senior Communist leader. Abdu Sathar of Dacca, Shankar Roy and Sairuddin of Rangpur and Kamaniya Das Gupta of Chittagang, Santosh Das Gupta of Khulna. The jail administration used to treat them with respect. They told the Jailor that we four were also Communists and therefore we may be allowed to stay with them but the Jailor expressed his inability to do so untill and unless we were confirmed to be security prisoner. But we were exempted from sitting in the queue which was called file. We were allowed to stay in the ward throughout the day.

The main problem was food. In the morning rotten rice with salt was supplied which was called LOPSI-it was not fit for human consumption. Similarly mid-day was also sub-standard. Dinner was surved at 5 p.m. so that all prisoners can be locked up before the sun set.

On the very first day we refused to take the bad food in the evening. Then the head warder told us that refused to take food is a crime under the jail code which warrants punishment. When we told that we are political prisoner then he relented and advised us to be placed in the category of Punjab diet which is far better than the Bengal diet or the Bihar diet. Then we agreed but on that day we had to take whatever was served.

The first night was terrible. As soon as we were locked up counting of head started. We were provided one blanket each. Under-trial criminals including dacoits were dancing all around and singing songs. There was too much noise. After some time they surrounded us to know what was our case? When we told them that we are Communist they did not understand. Then one of them cried "OH I understand you are "SWADESHI" that is ‘Political Prisoner’. When we said, yes, they were very happy and declared "No one should disturb these two babus as they have come to jail for the country" – I felt relieved.

One day we were sitting in the ward in the morning – we saw the State Flag of Pakistan was flying half-mast. A convicted prisoner was passing by our ward, we asked him why the flag was half-mast, what has happened? He halted for a moment and then commented "KOI BARA SALA MAR GAYA HOGA" and moved on. After sometimes the Deputy Jailor was passing – on our query he told that the Pakistan Prime Minister, Nawabzada Liaqut Ali Khan was shot dead in West Pakistan in a public meeting yesterday in day time and the alleged killer also was killed on the spot at the same time". And thus the conspiracy to kill the Prime Minister remained shrouded till now and it could not be established why he was killed and who were the forces who eliminated him.

After his death Sir Nazimuddin a pro-British Bengali Muslim League leader was appointed the 2nd Prime Minister of Pakistan.

After 15 days I was called by the jail administration at the jail gate office – when I reached there I was told that I will have to got to the office of the SP DIB, Rangpur.

A police van along with six armed men in uniform and one Havildar were waiting outside. I was taken in the van without hand cuff.

I was received by the SP DIB with a smiling face. He offered me a cup of tea and snacks and then told me, "You tried to make us fool that you are not a Communist but only refugee. Now the hand writing experts have confirmed that it is your hand writing and thus it is established that you are a fish of deep water". I thought that now there is no escape and therefore I told him that "I have nothing to say". In a pursuasive tone he told me, "It will be better if you tell us all that you know – then you will be released and we will provided you a good job in the police – let us serve Pakistan".

"I am not interested in any job in the Police. After my release I will decide what I do", I replied.

"But how you will be released? You will perish in the jail. We shall keep you in detention without trial for 20 years and thereafter the trial will begin", He smiled.

I became somewhat irritated and retorted, "Pakistan will not survive for twenty years, it will break". It was only a reaction on the spur of the moment but it is only a matter of chance that East Pakistan broke away exactly within twenty years. The SP DIB flared up, "This is the proof what you have just said that you are a hard core Communist because no other person sitting in this office will dare to utter these words. All right when you want to have jail meals, please go. Your leader Kamaniya Das Gupta is there. But mind you we are planning to implicate you in the Rawalpindi conspiracy case. In which we are planning to implicate you in the Rawalpindi conspiracy case. In which Saiyed Sajjad Zahir, Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Brigedier Akbar Khan and others were being tried in West Pakistan – "All enemies of Pakistan will be crushed". Havildar : he thundered, "take him to jail". The Havildar saluted the SP and told me "CHALO" and was back to Rangpur district jail. Within a few days I felt ill with acute blood dysentery and high fever and was admitted to jail hospital for seven days.

After a few days the order of detention came from Dacca. At that time Nurul Amin was the Chief Minister of East Pakistan. The order of detention without trial under the security of Pakistan Act stated, "You have been and are associated with subversive activities with the ultimate objective to overthrow the government of Pakistan by violent means. These activities are prejudicial to the safety and security of Pakistan and therefore the Governor is pleased to keep you under detention untill further orders". And the order was repeated after every six months.

After this order was served I was transferred to the security ward. I was very happy. After a long period of about six weeks I took bath with soap and had good launch along with other comrades. Attaining of the status of security prisoner was celebrated with glory.

We were supplied "Statesman" and other news papers so the jail life became somewhat better.

Nazimuddin went to Dacca for the first time after he became Prime Minister. He was accorded a reception in the Paltan Maidan of Dacca. He declared in his speech that "only Urdu will be the State language of Pakistan". The next day the students of Dacca University took out a protest march and demanded that Bengali should also be made one of the State languages of Pakistan along with Urdu. The police fired on the processionists and as a result of it 3 students were killed (if I remember correctly). This was the beginning of the political storm that swept East Pakistan leading to the formation of Bangladesh.

Hussain Shaheed Suhrawardy the highly intelligent leader of the Muslim League and Chief Minister of Bengal during the pre-partition days who was alleged to have instigated the great Calcutta killing of 16th August 1946 fought till last to keep Bengal separate from India and Pakistan under the Suhrawardy Sarat Bose plan, remained in Calcutta even after partition – by the end of April 1950 he went to Dacca. The Urdu speaking Mohajirs were very much jubilant when Suhrawardy’s plain landed at Dacca Airport. He was given an ovation when his car passed through Nawabpur Road. Incidentally, I was present in Dacca at the time.

When the language movement started he through it opportune moment to form another political party the AWAMI LEAGUE in getting united with Sk. Mujibur Rahman an ex-student of Islamia College, Calcutta (The present Moulana Azad College) and Moulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani a highly respectible semi-religious and semi-political peasant leader and Pir Sahib.

The language movement changed the political co-relation of forces in East Pakistan. In Rangpur Jail thousands of workers beloging to Muslim League, Congress, Awami League and Communist Party were brought. Jails became places of pilgrimmage and the rulers were isolated. The old terrorist leader and Congress MLA, Sri SATIN SEN was arrested and brought to Rangpur Jail. I saw him there.

There were clear instructions to the jail authorities that the prisoners of language movement must not be allowed to mix with the Communists to save them from contamination or pollution. But keeping a watch on the sea wave was not possible. We actively worked for explaining to them our ideology. The jail was overcrowded and all prison discipline were broken.

After six months the government was so panicky that it ordered the transfer of all Communist prisoners from Rangpur Jail to Dacca Central Jail or Rajshahi Central Jail. Nagen Sircar was transferred first, to Dacca Jail.

Myself and Santosh Das Gupta were transferred to Rajshahi Central Jail in April 1952. The police escort came to Rangpur jail gate in the afternoon. Myself and Santosh Das Gupta were hand cuffed together with one hand of each of us cuffing together, we were in clean white dress, happy to be out of jail after six months. The Havildar and the constables were all Urdu speaking. They told us that down Dacca mail will come only at the evening therefore they proposed to take us to the Rangpur police line instead of the station. We told them that since we are prisoners we are in their hands and they are to decide where to stay.

When we reached their Barrack we were surrounded by many constables. They asked many questions – some expressed their sympathy also when they learnt that we are political prisoner. We were taken to the station in the evening and boarded Dacca Mail. We had to change the meter guage train at Parbatipur to catch down Assam Mail from Parbatipur. This train was also changed at ISHARDIH. We were to spend the night on the platform because the train for Rajshahi was to leave in the early morning. The escorting police party was very much impressed during our conversation and about my knowledge of Urdu literature and poetry. They made all possible arrangements for our sleep. They made all possible arrangements for our sleep. They even freed us from the hand cuff. People were loitering around us but no one was allowed to talk to us.

The next morning we were taken by another train to Rajshahi. From the railway station to Rajshabhi Central Jail which is located nearer to the famous river PADMA. Symptomatic to British rule Rajshahi Central Jail had very high boundary walls and there was a watch tower on the top of the main jail gate from there one single entry can watch the entire jail area.

It was a horrible scene when we entered the inner gate. About 50 prisoners who were undergoing life imprisonment were moving in a row with iron fetters from hands to legs called DANDABERI in the queue. Many were put to rigorous work like carrying water or crushing wheat in the CHAKKI or crushing mustard in the GHANI or KOLHU as it was called.

We were taken to ward no. 5. We were received by about 100 political prisoners by a HULLA. Santosh Das Gupta was known to some of them but I was completely new. But since I was from Calcutta I was taken with greater affection and love. Out of 100 there were only 17 muslims 5 of which were from Calcutta. I was happy with the big association. After half an hour one comrade came and asked me "Do you smoke biri"? I said "no". Very good he continued. "Our comrades will come and ask you whether you smoke biri or not then please tell them that yes I smoke", "Why?" I asked – "No, no, there is nothing wrong you see here in the jail we have adopted certain measures of austerity because we have no money – only relatives of some of our comrades send pocket money to them – out of it we purchase biri and we have formed groups of 3 biri smokers and supply 3 biris to each group. One in the morning and one after the lunch and one after the dinner. Each group sits together to smoke one and the same biri by rotation. So if you do not smoke your share will be enjoyed by two of us without any loss to you" and I laughed.

According to jail code each political prisoner was provided daily meals of 14 ANAAS that is 87 paise. In those days it was adequate. The only difficulty was one that the same vegetable was supplied from the jail cultivation for the whole season.

We were provided two letters to write my letters to my father or to my wife in Urdu. All letters were censured by the IB. Since there was no Urdu knowing man in Rajshahi my letters were always delayed.

The after effects of the firing of 24th April 1950 were still there. All political prisoners used to be kept under lock-up when the Superintendent used to come for the visit once in a weak. A new Pubjabi retired military officer came as Superintendent. On his first visit when he was passing from our ward I told him from within the lock-up that I have some complaint. I told him in Urdu "KUCHH SHIKAYAT HAI". He was prompt enough "please tell me then I narrated the difficulties faced by the political prisoners after the firing. He told me that "please come to my office some time so that we can discuss in detail. I will try my best to do whatever is possible" he assured.

The next day he called me in his office. Then I submitted a charter of demand including indoor games and football play for political prisoners and removing some other restrictions. He accepted all the demands. During our discussions he disclosed that he was an admirer of Faiz Ahmed the renound Urdu Poet and Chief Editor of "Pakistan Times". He also told me that he reads my letters with keep interest and has told the IB that since he reads those letters there is no need of sending it for censurship elsewhere.

The atrocities perpetrated on the political prisoners at the time of firing and thereafter were horrible and inhuman. At the time of the firing there was an Englishman Superintendent who was bitterly anti-Communist. In the firing 7 comrades died. There name are (1) Md. Hanif Shaikh, (2) Md. Anwar, (3) Dilawar Hussain, (4) Bijan Sen, (5) Kampa Ram Singh, (6) Sukhen Bhattacharya, (7) Sudhin Dhar.

Many comrades were injured. Syed Mansur Habilbullah received bullet injuries. One bullet remained in his body till his death on 14th September 1996. Comrade Noorun Nabi Choudhury’s one leg had to be amputed.

The association in Rajshabi Central Jail was very good. I joined classes by eminent Profressors to improve my English, Philosophy and Economic studies. Printed books on Marxism were not allowed so a number of books on fundamentals of Marxism mainly written by Lenin were copied on exercies books by hand writings. These books helped us immensely. I utilised the jail life for my all round improvement on education. I also learnt Bengali language because I was assigned a job to translate English news paper to Bengali for the peasant comrades who did not know English. It was this exercise which helped me in composing the Bengali Urdu Dictronery consisting of 11 thousand words which was published in 1989. What I learnt in Jail within two years was not possible outside jail in 10 years. I had only 4 function, Read and Write, Eat and sleep, physical exercise and play.

There were very renouned revolutioneries in the jail at that time Krishna Vinod Roy, Gurudas Talukder, Nalini Mohan Das and so on. Bistu Chatterjee was also with us for a few days.

We had divided our 24 hours in reading, writing, debating, exercise, play, walking, eating and sleeping – our relatives had to undergo all kinds of agoniesm depression, misery and even starvation. We received letters from our kins full of painful stories.

Passport system was introduced between Indian and Pakistan in 1953. The Government of East Pakistan sent a printed form to all political prisoners to declare their nationality with the intention that the case of all Indian nationals will be referred to the Deputy High Commissioner for India in Pakistan, Dacca with the condition that if they accept it and agree to issue repatriation certificates then they will be released and escorted out upto the boarder.

There was a big debate as to who will declare and claim to be Indian. We could not come to any decision. We referred it to comrade Muzaffar Ahmad for a guideline. He framed the guideline. According to that guidelines those comrades who were born in the area now within East Pakistan and their families were in East Pakistan and after their release will remain in East Pakistan should declare their citizenship as Pakistani. And those who want to migrate to India after their release with their family and those whose families have already migrated they should declare themselves to be Indian.

Those who were born in India and their family is in India they should declare themselves to be Indian. The decision of comrade Muzaffar Ahmad was the final word and the debate ended.

Since my wife and father and other family members were in Calcutta I declared to be an Indian. Like me 30 others including Mansur Habibullah declared to be Indian national all those cases were referred to the Deputy High Commissioner for India and Pakistan, Dacca, Mr. Partha Sarathi. He accepted all the cases and issued repatriation certificates to all of us with our photographs. On the basis of it the Government of East Pakistan issued release order and all of us were released one by one. The first order of release came for Comrade Krishna Vinod Roy of Khulna. He was ill so we demanded that since he cannot travel alone upto Calcutta at least one person of Calcutta should also be released with him so that he can accompany the old and sick leader. Our demand was accepted and another young detenue of Calcutta’s release order was obtained by the jail authority within 24 hours.

The next was my turn. It was a fine morning of November 1953 that I was called to the jail gate. Farewell meeting was convened and I left Rajshahi Central Jail with a deep feeling of sorrow as well as happiness – sorrow because of the leaving of so many intimate comrades and their love and happiness because of attaining freedom after 2 years and two months the beginning of which was horrible.

The jail authorities gave me a Rail warrant and Rs. 10/- in cash in Pakistani currency alongwith one blanket, on bed sheet and none pillow. I left Rajshahi Central Jail on a cycle rickshaw alongwith a plain cloth Police Constable. He accompanied me upto the Darshana boarder of East Pakistan and there he introduced me to his India counter part. I found that though there was disputed on many other issues between the two Governments they were one on the question of preventing Communist movement in both countries.

In 1977 when I became Transport Minister of West Bengal, I had to go to New Delhi in a meeting called by the Government of India. There I met Mr. Parthasarathy, who was also in the meeting. I expressed my gratitude to him for accepting our nationality in 1953 in East Pakistan. He smiled and shook hands with me and said "Yes, Yes I remember – the Government of East Pakistan sent a list of 30 political detenues who were deatained in different jails of East Pakistan and stated that if we accept them as Indian nationals, then the question of their release may be considered. So I though there are several thousand s of Communists in India let there be 30 more and so I accepted".